Research hotspots in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: a bibliometric study and visualization analysis via CiteSpace

Abstract Objective To analyze the research status, hotspots, and trends in hyperbilirubinemia treatment, providing reference for future research and clinical practice. Methods Relevant studies on hyperbilirubinemia treatment from January 1, 2000, to April 13, 2025, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace 6.4.R1 and Excel 2021 were used for visual analysis of annual publications, institutions, countries, co-cited literature, and keywords. Results A total of 1735 articles were included. Research interest remains high, with phototherapy and exchange transfusion as the main treatments. Recently, adjunctive therapies such as pharmacological agents, probiotics, kangaroo care, massage, and hydration therapy have emerged. The USA leads in publication volume, with University of California System as the top institution. Keyword clustering identified newborns and premature infants as primary subjects, and bilirubin-related indicators as key evaluation metrics. Conclusions Phototherapy and exchange transfusion remain core therapeutic interventions, while probiotics, pharmacotherapeutics, and non-invasive modalities constitute emerging paradigms with translational potential; future research should prioritize the evidence-based integration of multimodal regimens to establish a dual-dimension framework optimizing therapeutic efficacy and safety profiles.